Block greases



Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED KSTAT ES ve reiice BLOCK GREASES George W. Murray, Pleasantville; and Chester 1). "Tha'yer, ,Jackson HeightS; Nw r assighorsth Socony-Vacnugn-Oil Company 'lncorporatetl, a

corporation of New York 1 NoDraiiiingJApplication May 'l, 1947,

Serial No. 746,630

" '6 Claims, (01. 252 42) wparts to be'lubricated.

Prior art block greases are exemplified hereinafter by=two-greases, designatedas greases A and B. The formulation of these greases startswith whole fats, i. e. esters of fatty acids which are saponified with -an alkali- (caustic soda in the -=exam'ples) to arrive at alkali metal soaps (soda soaps intheexamples), and free glyeerme in i'the resulting grease. -These greases are formulated to operate at temperatures of 250 F. and 350 F. respectively 'Under such service conditions,.these greases tend to separate free oiLwhile the desired performance should be accomplishedfby feeding only thesoftened grease. Many 'such' greases tend to ha'rden and/or to Carbonize upo'n fl'the -feeding surface. 'This hardening r'es'ultsin a lilrn which can result in preventing further feedbf "the" grease from'the block to thesurf'a'c'e td'b'e lubricated.

f 'Glycerine is generally -regarded "as a cannin agent or promoter "of sti'iictlirafstability in greases of this sort. "However, inthe'manuffacture of this type 10f grease in which gl'ycefldes porated in the rormumubn at the "pearbratures (400""-"500 P.) which are requiredf'or' the soluti'on ofthe soap in the oil fthe glycrifie detainposes and/or po1ymeri'zesa reactionthat'result's inevolution of volatile products-andtehds to destroy' the homogenous and cohesive structure which is considered desirable in "this" type "or grease.

-Avgrease of this type, madefro n a's'bda soap of=aglyceride will tendto develop afibrous struc- 1A 4 added glycerine. (It should be noted th I "C is not an operable" commercial grease since; it

tabiesthefirst [portion shows foriiiii grease; the second shows performance tests.

formulated *f'roiii'ratty acids only,

most no glycerine, and grease D is subst tially the s'faine grease'fas is C, exceptthat' itconta' cannot hold structurefeven under the mild conditions of storage. The soap and Bilseparate and theproduct becomes cru'fnbly. "Grease-1D; would be an operable g rease except forithejd resulting from the 'pres'enceof eiy c O :nariuin .Hyiiiat Caustic Soda 180 Lime base grease (*5 consistency).

Oxidation Inhibitor Performance Penetration Unwbrked Fresh cut 7 t M surface. ure ane. 9 .Ali 68. 4. Penetration; on running surface. 39 47 (i3 Change of Running Surface 0) 4) Temperature of test 220 220 220 220 Duration of Test, hours" .96 .96. 148 .4048 Lbssu'gramslhoururue .057 .047: 1.194 .079

Glazed hardened. -Derkens. v r 3 Slight glaze hardeus.

Particularly to be noted: is the glazing-(and hardening of -ooxrimercfal grease nah siir'iil 'ar graz ng and hardening of: igl'yc'e'rine" conaifnmg grease D?- the high loss, due to structural instability,'- of grease C. Grease B,-desi-g-ned for temperaturesof operation *well above the test, ='was not perceptibly affected. 'If the testnaateen "conducted" at a temperature of 350 it would have shown lglazing andha'r'aemngsamwhat simi'l'a'r wgrea se 4. I h The objectsof this invention maybe attained by the manufacture ofgreases which are low in glycerine and which utilize as a couplingagent or stabilizing ingredient an alcohol of high molecular weight, such as cetyl or stearyl alcohol.

surface to be lubricated.

Example Indicative of the comparative ability of such a grease, Table II presents comparative data on grease Example I and greases C and D of Table I. The makeup of the tabular data is parallel to that used in Table I. To suppress extraneous variations, these three greases C, D and Example I, were compounde'd'with, strictly uniform procedure. For additional information, data on-grease A is incorporated to save reference to Table I.

Table II Grease Exainple C D A Formulation Hydrogenated Rosin Acids 2. 5 2. 59 2. 56

Myristic Acid 6.0 6. 22 6. 15

Hydrogenated Fish Oil Acids 6.0 e. 22 6. 15 Hydrogenated Fish Oil Glyce 0. 5 50 50 12.5

allow l2. 5

50% NaSulphonate 2. 0, 2.08 2. 05 cerine 1. 43 Stearyl Alcohol 4. 0 200 Parifiln O 75. 4 78. 70 77. 50 Caustic Soda 2. 6 2. 69 2. 66 4. 75 l80fParaffin Oil 60. 75 V Lime base grease #5. 9. 50 2D Oxidation Inhibitor 1.00 1. 00 1. 00

Performance Penetration, Unworked Fresh Cut Surface" 58 68 47 59 Penetration, on Running Surface... 51 63 30 30 Change of Running Surfa Temperature of -Tes.t 220 220 220 220 Duration of test, hours 48 48 48 96 Loss gra ns/hour. 035 194 079 0. 57

had a higher loss figure, even though it formed a hardened, glazedsurface face and thus was furnishing resistance to the feed of grease to the Other formulations along this general line are equally effective for the purpose indicated, as

'may be noted from Table III.

Table III Formulation L 1 Darkens hardens. V Z Slight darkening.

Darkens. v

' specifically cetyl and stearyl alcohols.

In the above greases, candellila wax, a vegetable cuticle wax, provides a substantial quantity. of high molecular weight aliphatic alcohols (C28- 024 range) to stabilize the grease of Example 2. Marine pitch, which is a mixture of polymerized fatty acids, hydroxy acids, and higher alcohols,

f is introduced into the formulation of Example #7 for the purpose of providing the higher alcohols necessary for this preferred grease.

The oxidation inhibitors mentioned were vari ous amine compounds, phenols, etc., known to the trade as useful for the purpose of inhibiting oxidation deterioration of greases and are not of themselves of significance in this formulation.

The alcohols which may be used for the purposes of this invention are the monohydric aliphatic alcohols of 14 carbon atoms and above, Lauryl alcohol, like glycerine, is found to be too volatile to be of value in giving a stable, economical grease of the desired homogenous and cohesive structure. Similar results may be obtained by the use of such ingredients as candelilia wax, marine pitch or similar materials which will furnish substantial quantities of high molecular Weight aliphatic alcohols.

- In general, in block greases having from about lO'to about of oil, and from about 30 to about 10% of alkali metal soaps, alcohols, as described above or compounds containing substantial quantitles of these alcohols; will be found useful in amounts from about 1 to 10% of the alcohol or alcohol containing ingredient; the grease being substantially free of glycerine or having, in its final form, not over .5% of glycerine.

We claim: '1; A block grease composition consisting substantially, by weight, of from about 10% to about 90% of mineral oil, from about 30% to about'l0% pr alkali metal soaps, and from about 1% to about 10% of monohydric alcohols of at least 14 carbon atoms, and having, in finished form, not'over 0.5% of glycerine. s 2. A block grease composition consistingsubstantially, by weight, of from about 10% to about 90%"of viscous'mineral oil, from about 30%-to about l0% of alkali metal soaps,"and from about l%to about 10% of cetyl alcohol, and having, in finished form, not over 0.5% of glycerine.

3. A block grease composition consistingsubstantially, by weight, of from about 10% to about 90% of viscous mineral oil, from about 30% to about 10% of alkali metal soaps, and from about 1% to about 10% of stearyl alcohol, and having,

in finished form, not over 0.5% of glycerine.

4."An' improved soda base block grease com- 'position consisting substantially of viscous mineral oil, from about 10% to about 30% by Weight of sodium soaps of fatty acids, and from about 1% to about 10%by weight of monohydric aliphaticalcohols of at least l lcarbon atoms, the

finished grease having not over 0.5% by weight of glycerine.

' "5. An improved soda base block grease composition consisting substantially; of viscous mineral oil, from about 10% to about 30% by weight of'sodium soaps of fatty acids, and from about 1% to about 10% by weight of cetyl alcohol, and having, in finished form, not'over 0.5% of glyceri'ne; J

6. An improved soda base block grease'composition consisting substantially of viscous mineraloil, from about 10% to about 30% by weight of sodium soaps of fatty acids, and from about 1% to about 10% by weight of stearyl alcohol,

, 5 6 and having, in finished form, not over 0.5% of UNITED STATES PATENTS glycerine.

GEORGE w. MURRAY. Nfmber Name Date CHESTER D THAYER. ,637,703 McKee Aug. 2, 1927 r 2,038,688 Taylor Apr. 28, 1936 REFERENCES CITED J 2,108,643 Brunstrum Feb. 15, 1933 2,182,137 Ricketts Dec. 5, 1939 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,449,312. September 14, 1948. GEORGE W. MURRAY ET AL.

It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 2, line 28, Table I, for (5 consistency) read (#5 consistency); same table, line 34:, for of second occurrence, read F.;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent- Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of May, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uammz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

